Wire-clamp.



W. H. KEMPTON.

WIRE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1911.

Patented July 27, 1915.

Illu

WILLARD H. KEMPTON, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO,-ASSIGI\TOR TO THE OHIO BRASS GOM- PANY, 0F MANSFIELD, O I-IIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WIRE-CLAMP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLARD H. KEMP- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mansfield, in the county of Richland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVire-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for clamping wires and the like and suspending them from a hanger, and in the present exemplification of the invention is more particularly described as a clamp for trolley wires. I

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described, which is simple, durable and cheap in construction, and effective and efficient in operation.

For the attainment of these ends, and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects, as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts, generally shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i Q

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clamp constructed in ac cordance with the principles of this invention; Fig. 2 i'sa crosssectional view of a clamp in position upon a hanger; Fig. 3 is a sectionalview in elevation; Fig. 4: is an end view, of the clamp showing the jaws in distendedposition; F ig. 5 is adetail side view of the suspension member.

In clamps of the class described, such as are used for trolley wires, and the like, it is necessary that the clamping jaws should be disposed at the proper angle; and a clamp is desired which is simple and cheap, and at the same time possesses the requisite strength and rigidity to support the wires. Furthermore, it is desired that the clamp should be readily adjustable in position and can be permanently secured to the wires. This clamp is adapted to fulfil these requirements and present a structure which is efl'ective and'efiicient in operation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a suspension member is formed with an internallythreaded opening 11 and an outside notch or notches 12, which are disposed in the outer face of the member.

At the other end of the suspension member is an inverted wedge shaped portion 13 with Serial No. 643,449.

an extending tip 14, both being joined to the threaded portion by the neck 15. A pair of jaw members 16 and 17 are formed with inter engaging portions adjacent the ends thereof, one of the members being formed with" openings 18 through which lug 19 from the other member extend, the said openings and projections forming a pivotal bearing for the jaw members. One edge of each of the said jaws is formed with the clamping portion 20, which are adapted to be placed in proximity to each other, and the other edge of each of the jaw members is formed with inwardly extending lips 21, which bear upon the inclined faces of the wedge shaped portion 18. The upper edges of the jaw members 16 and 17 are also inclined inwardly, as shown by Fig. 4, so that the outermost edge of the members is the highest. Intermediate of the ends of the jaw members and extending inwardly thereof are the ribs 22, which are adapted to en gage the projecting tip" 14 of the suspension member and to prevent the jaw members from tilting u'p'on'the suspension member. The jaw members are rotatable upon each other to an extent limited by the ribs 22 bearing on the tongue 14 in one direction,

and by lips 21 bearing on neck 15 in the other direction.

A sleeve 24 formed with a projecting lug or lugs 25 is adaptedto fit around the suspension member, the lugs 25 extending into the slots 12, and permitting a longitudinal movement of the sleeve with respect to the suspension memberv and preventing the rotation of it with respect to the suspension member. This sleeve 24 is threaded, preferably on the outside, and adapted to receive an operating nut 26. The nut 26 is adapted to be moved upon the sleeve 24, to adjust the position of the sleeve, the under surface of the nut 26 bearing upon the edges of the jaw members, the lips 21 of which bear upon the faces of the inverted wedge Patented Ju1y'27, 1915.

the operating nut bears upon the upper edges of the clamping jaws. By continuing the rotation of the operating nut 26 the clamping jaws may be applied with any desired pressure, and it will be seen that the jaws are applied by the action of the inverted wedge which bears upon the lips 21 of the said members. This action is in effect the withdrawal of the inverted wedge shaped portion relatively with respect to the jaws. Since the jaws are pivotally mounted at their center the separating action of the wedge on one side of the pivotal mounting effects the clamping action on the other side of the pivotal mounting.

It is evident that the clamp may be attached to a trolley wire just tight enough to hold the wire in position until it has been stretched. The clamp may then by one operation be permanently tightened upon the trolley wire and the hanger, thus eliminating loose joints between the clamp and the hanger. It is furthermore evident that the clamping jaws may be disposed about the hanger at any angle thereto, and the clamp secured in the adjusted position.

While I have thus described the preferred construction, combination and arrangement of the several parts which constitute my invention, it is evident that others skilled in the arts to which this relates may make various changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a member threaded to receive a hanger stud and formed withan upwardly converging wedge portion, of interengaging freely pivoted jaw members with inclined edges disposed over and adapted to coact with the said wedge portion and other edges movable into clamping position when the wedge is moved upwardly, and means to draw the said wedge portion upwardly with respect to the jaws to move the clamping edges together.

2. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a member threaded at one end for attachment to a hanger and with a wedge shaped portion at the other end, of pivotally freely movable interengaging jaw members the edges of which are formed with lips which engage the wedge surfaces and the other edges are formed with clamping portions, and means to press against the edges of the jaw members adjacent the wedge surfaces whereby the jaws and the wedge shaped portion are relatively moved, to apply the clamping edges.

3. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a suspensionmember internally threaded at one end and having a wedge-shaped portion at the other end, of pivotally interengaging jaw members having edges which bear upon the wedge portion, a sleeve which fits over the suspension member, and an operating nut threaded upon the sleeveand operative to press the jaw members along the wedge surfaces whereby the clamp ng the jaw members to position them and prevent the tilting thereof with respect to the wedge portion, and means to apply the clamping jaws.

5. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a suspension member internally thread- 2 ed for a hanger'bolt at one end and formed with a wedge-shaped portion with a projecting end tip at the other end, of pivotally interengaging members with edges disposed to bear on the wedge-shaped portion and formed with ribs adjacent the said tip, and adjustable means to vary the pressure and position ofv the jaw members on the wedge shaped portion, the said tip being adapted to engage the ribs to prevent the jaw members from tilting.

6. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a suspension member internally threaded at one end to receive a hanger stud and formed with a wedge-shaped portion with a projecting tip at the other end and a longitudinal slot in the outer face of the threaded portion, of jaw members pivotally interengaging and with edges riding on the wedge faces and held from tilting by the said tip, a sleeve formed with a projection to enter the said slot, externally threaded and slidable along the suspension member, and an operating nut threaded upon the sleeve operative to bear the edges of the jaw members upon the wedge-shaped portion and to move the latter relatively upward from the jaw members whereby the clamping edges of the jaws are adjusted and applied.

7. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a suspension member internally threaded at one end to receive a hanger stud and formed with an upwardly converging wedge-shaped portion, with a projecting tip at the other end and a longitudinal slot in the outer face of the threaded portion, of jaw members pivotally interengaged adjacent their center, the edges being formed with inwardly extending lips which are adapted to slide on the wedge shaped pormembers, the said nut being operative to move the wedge shaped portion of the suspension member upwardly from and with respect to the jaw members, whereby the lower edges of the members are applied, the said upper edges of the jaw members being inclined so that the nut contacts with the edges of the members in distended position whereby greater pressure is brought to bear in applying the jaws by means of the nut.

8. In a trolley clamp, the combination with a suspension member internally threaded at one end to receive a hanger stud and formed with a wedge-shaped portion with a projecting tip at the other end and a longitudinal slot in the outer face of the threaded portion, of jaw members pivotally interengaged adjacent their center, the edges being formed with inwardly extending lips which are adapted to slide on the wedge shaped portion, a sleeve having a projection engaged by and slidable in said slot to hold the sleeve against rotation with respect to the suspension member, a nut threaded upon the sleeve, bearing upon the edges of the jaw members and adapted, when operatively moved, to press the sleeve until it contacts with the hanger and to close the clamping jaws by drawing the wedge-shaped portion of the clamping member upward relatively to the jaws, the jaws being thereby adjustable at any angle about the hanger and the jaws being applied by a single operation of the said nut.

9. The combination with a hanger for wires, of a supporting clamp embodying pivoted clamping jaws movable apart on one side of the pivot to clamp a wire between them on the other side, a sleeve movably mounted on said clamp, a nut threaded with the sleeve and adapted when operatively rotated to extend the outer ends of the nut and sleeve to press said sleeve against the hanger and to press the nut downwardly upon the top of the jaws spreading them apart on the adjacent side of the pivotal mounting.

10. The combination with a hanger for wires, of a supporting clamp embodying pivoted clamping jaws adapted to be closed to grip a wire, a sleeve movably mounted on said clamp, a nut threaded with the sleeve and adapted when operatively moved to extend the outer ends of the nut and sleeve and to tightly position the clamp with respect to the hanger and the jaws, and to close the clamping jaws.

11. The combination with a hanger member, of a supporting member adapted to be removably mounted upon said hanger member, another member interlocked for rotation with said supporting member, clamping jaws carried by said supporting member, and common means for jamming said interlocked member against said hanger member and for actuating the clamping jaws.

12. The combination with a hanger member, of a supporting member removably at tached thereto, a sleeve member rotatably interlocked for rotation with said supporting member adapted to be set tightly against the hanger member to bind the supporting member against rotation, Wire clamping jaws suspended from said supporting member and adapted to be actuated to clamp the trolley wire, and means common to both said sleeve member and said clamping jaws for actuating them.

13. The combination with a hanger member having a threaded stud, of a socket member adapted to be screwed on to said stud, a sleeve member interlocked for rota- .tion with said socket member and adapted to be jammed against the hanger member to bind the socket member against rotation, means carried by the socket member for clamping a trolley wire, and a common device for actuating said sleeve member and said wire clamping means.

1 1. The combination of a hanger member having a depending stud, a socket member adapted to be screwed on to said stud, a threaded sleeve rotatably interlocked with said socket member but movable longitudinally thereof and adapted to be jammed against said hanger member to bind said socket member against rotation, wire clamping means on said socket member, and a threaded collar on said sleeve adapted, when rotated, to actuate said sleeve and said wire clamping means.

15. The combination of a pair of hinged wire clamping members, a threaded socket member having a spreader positioned between the said clamping members, a hanger member having a threaded stud adapted to be screwed into said socket member, a sleeve longitudinally movable relatively to said socket member but interlocked therewith against relative rotation and adapted to be moved against said hanger member to bind the socket member against rotation, and a collar threaded on said sleeve for actuating said sleeve and for forcing the clamping members against said spreader to cause them to move apart.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 3rd day of August A. D. 1911.

WILLARD H. KEMPTON.

Witnesses:

J. ROWLAND BROWN, J. C. PAINTER.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

